Good performance

3 consecutive losses at the 2023 Asian Cup are the sad period that coach Philippe Troussier and his students have to go through. On the short journey in Qatar, the Vietnamese team did not show many positive aspects. The playing style is still flawed, individual mistakes appear regularly. However, there are still bright spots for coach Troussier and fans to look forward to, including the impressive performance of central defender Bui Hoang Viet Anh. Viet Anh played all 3 matches (270 minutes) in the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup. The central defender born in 1999 had a hand in half of the team's goals. In the match against Japan, Viet Anh was the author of a dangerous header that forced goalkeeper Zion Suzuki to push the ball away to save the goal, then Tuan Hai rushed in to score the rebound. In the match against Iraq, Viet Anh scored the opening goal with a smart run and a striker-like finish.

NGOC LINH

However, the core element of a central defender is defensive ability. And in this aspect, Viet Anh also had a pretty good tournament. The player of the Hanoi Police Club was assigned to play in the middle of a 3-center-back formation, alongside two teammates Phan Tuan Tai (left wing) and Nguyen Thanh Binh (right wing). Viet Anh's task was to command the defense, predict and cover for his teammates, and was assigned to "mark" the opposing strikers. Even when facing fast, skillful strikers like Takefusa Kubo, Ritsu Doan (Japan), strong players like Aymen Hussein, Mohanad Ali (Iraq) or Rafael Struick (Indonesia), Viet Anh completed his task. The central defender born in 1999 played strongly, intelligently, fought well in the air and read the situation very clearly. Except for the foul that led to the penalty, in general, Viet Anh made very few personal mistakes in this tournament. This is an encouraging statistic for the 24-year-old central defender, who is participating in the Asian Cup for the first time and also only started for the national team for the first time 2 years ago. Whether playing in Coach Park Hang-seo's defensive counter-attack system or controlling the ball under Coach Troussier, Viet Anh is performing well.

NGOC LINH

PHUC THANG

Viet Anh's tears after the match against Indonesia are proof of the desire that Coach Troussier really needs from his students. The French strategist boldly puts his trust in the young generation, with the expectation that players like Viet Anh, although needing more time to accumulate experience, but with the desire to win and the willingness to accept mistakes, this will be a good team in the future.

Seize the opportunity

Bui Hoang Viet Anh's journey to success in both the club and the national team is full of coincidences. Viet Anh came from the Hanoi youth team, playing in the second division under the name "Hanoi B". The team was later promoted to the first division, then moved to Ha Tinh, becoming Ha Tinh Club led by coach Pham Minh Duc. At the beginning of the 2020 season, Hanoi Club brought back 3 young players including Viet Anh, Xuan Tu and Van Xuan from Ha Tinh Club. At this time, Viet Anh had to compete with many experienced central defenders such as Duy Manh, Dinh Trong, Thanh Chung. While the above names have experience playing for the club and the national team, Viet Anh's "capital" is a few meager matches in the 2020 U.23 Asian Cup finals, when he had to play as a full-back.

VFF

However, when the crisis at the beginning of the 2020 season took away the duo Duy Manh and Dinh Trong (injured) from Hanoi FC, and Van Hau went to SC Heerenveen to play, coach Chu Dinh Nghiem reluctantly promoted Viet Anh to pair with Thanh Chung. The result was beyond expectations, when Viet Anh played steadily, helping Hanoi accelerate in the return leg, competing for the championship with The Cong Viettel Club until the final round. Viet Anh made good use of the launching pad at the club with 68 matches in the V-League, playing the role of a pillar of Hanoi FC until the day he moved to Hanoi Police Club. His ability to judge, cover and compete well all helped the 24-year-old central defender gain trust, no matter which team he played in. His scoring ability is also a plus for Viet Anh, with 12 goals in the V-League and the National Cup - more than any other defender. In the Vietnam national team, when Que Ngoc Hai was injured, Viet Anh became a new and reliable stopper. The important thing is that the Hanoi Police Club's central defender always tries his best so that when the opportunity comes, he knows how to seize it. The 2023 Asian Cup, although it brings unhappy memories, is also a fulcrum for Viet Anh to have a solid position in the national team.